REVERENCE AND RENEWAL

LOOKING TO BUILD a retreat on Long Island in the early 1970s, one man was drawn to the remote, sparsely populated East End where he could stretch his legs on beach constitutionals, fish to unwind, and tend his vegetable garden, all while basking in the peace and quiet so welcome after the frenzy of Manhattan. Family lore has it that he wanted nothing fancier than a shack in the dunes, and while the house—designed by up-and-coming modernist architect Norman Jaffe—was grander than that, its occupants made sure that the spirit of the abode remained humble. Since then, the man’s children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren have enjoyed easygoing summers and holidays at the vacation home, restoring it with an ever-deepening ethos enriched by family history.

And so, when the 3,500-square-foot heirloom house desperately needed renovating